OCOP Products and Tourism: A Partnership Driving Rural Development in Phu Tho

Integrating products under Vietnam’s One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program with tourism has become a key development strategy in Phu Tho Province. By investing in this model, the province has begun to achieve positive results, not only increasing the economic value of rural products but also promoting local strengths while introducing the culture, people, and landscapes of Phu Tho to a wider audience of visitors.

Developing OCOP products alongside tourism experiences has helped Tat Thang Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative in Cu Dong Commune increase product sales and expand its market through visitor promotion.

Alongside its rich cultural heritage, Phu Tho is endowed with numerous scenic landscapes and tourist attractions, providing favorable conditions for tourism development. In recent years, Party committees, local authorities, and residents have worked together to implement practical solutions that effectively capitalize on these advantages while reflecting the unique characteristics of each locality.

Among these initiatives, integrating OCOP products with tourism has become a priority in many areas and has already produced encouraging results. The model not only improves the economic value of agricultural production and raises rural incomes but also helps preserve and promote traditional cultural values while supporting sustainable rural development.

Tat Thang Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative currently has five OCOP-certified products. In addition to specialties such as fermented pork, fermented goat meat, goat sausage, herbal-marinated goat meat, and grapes, the cooperative has developed an experiential tourism model linked to the promotion and sale of local OCOP products.

According to Dinh Thi Thao, Director of the cooperative, grape cultivation—including Ha Den grapes and Korean Shine Muscat grapes—began in early 2021. After recognizing visitors' enthusiasm for the vineyard experience, the cooperative partnered with Wyndham Thanh Thuy Resort and Vuon Vua Resort to offer activities such as grape cultivation, harvesting experiences, and introductions to the cooperative’s OCOP products.

Today, the cooperative welcomes approximately 400–600 visitors each month. Thanks to experiential tourism, sales of its OCOP products have increased by around 40% compared with previous levels. Many visitors continue purchasing products after returning home, helping expand the cooperative’s market and enhance the value of its products.

With more than 40 hectares of citrus orchards, including oranges and mandarins, the family of Nguyen Van Hao in Thu Cuc Commune is developing OCOP products in combination with community-based tourism.

To date, Phu Tho Province has 689 OCOP products rated three stars or above, including five five-star products. Through the OCOP Program, the commercial value of participating products has increased by 15–20%. Many have established strong market recognition, including Doan Hung pomelos, Hung Lo rice noodles, Thanh Son fermented pork, Lap Thach red-fleshed dragon fruit, and Tam Dao oyster mushrooms.

These OCOP products not only promote the province’s cultural heritage, cuisine, and tourism potential but also introduce the image of Phu Tho and its people to domestic and international visitors. In doing so, they help preserve traditional cultural values while contributing to the development of tourism and the rural economy.

One of the province’s most notable achievements has been the successful integration of high-tech agriculture with rural tourism. This approach enriches visitors' experiences while creating effective marketing and distribution channels for local agricultural products, thereby increasing their added value. It is widely regarded as a development model well suited to modern consumer trends and capable of promoting comprehensive and sustainable rural economic growth.

Cao Phong Commune has successfully implemented the integration of OCOP product development with tourism.

According to Nguyen Thanh Hiep, Deputy Head of the Sub-department of Rural Development, the province will continue promoting OCOP-linked tourism by raising public awareness of the program among government agencies, businesses, and local communities. At the same time, Phu Tho will mobilize resources from national programs and development projects to provide financial assistance, technology transfer, and technical support for enterprises, cooperatives, and production facilities.

The province also plans to develop community-based tourism routes connected with OCOP production areas, creating integrated value chains that link production, marketing, and tourism experiences. These efforts are expected to enhance the competitiveness of OCOP products while supporting the sustainable development of the rural economy.

Quan Lam